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Skateboarding => Shoes & Gear => Topic started by: BrknBrds on September 02, 2022, 08:38:16 PM
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DOA needs our help. I emailed Steve to ask him when the new drop was coming out (because, yea I’m new and have no idea) and he sent me this via email: On Aug 30, 2022, at 10:46 AM, Steven Fletschinger <[email protected]> wrote:
I hate to say it but doubtful ever again
Sales have been way down
Sent from my iPhone
we cannot love skateboarding, new or veterans, and allow legendary smaller companies be dismantled in place of generic corporate wasteland companies. Help out, buy a fucking deck . Email him and say he needs to produce more we are all waiting
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Joey shithead is doing well.
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Wish they posted to Australia. I think you gotta be open to global market if you want to sell more.
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Wish they posted to Australia. I think you gotta be open to global market if you want to sell more.
I jumped through serious hoops to get a 7.5 sent to Ireland. Total pain in the ass
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Hard to believe with excellent wood, shape selection, art direction. Bought plenty since I got hip to PFC, both of which are East Coast staples at this point.
PFC faded and came back. Hope the same for DOA. Too many brands…but specifically these two have a place in skating, unlike numerous other corny brands making product.
Quality over quantity.
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Damn it. The flat as fucks are so good.
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They are not easy to get, especially on the West Coast. I'd check the site all the time and it would always be sold out in a shape I would ride.
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guess it's time to pull the trigger on that shaggy square shape i've been twiddling my thumbs about
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Yeah I agree, I couldn't always get my hands on one. The flats would sell out quick too.
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guess it's time to pull the trigger on that shaggy square shape i've been twiddling my thumbs about
Can vouch for the square shape. Never had more consistent pop shoves when I had mine. Cool shape.
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Wish they posted to Australia. I think you gotta be open to global market if you want to sell more.
You can find DOA boards on parade world
Anyone know the DM's on flat as fuck 8'
Or do they change every drop?
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i want to buy decks from doa direct. i did bring some in the shop i used to work at.
just shipping to canada is pricey.
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from their instagram.
(https://i.imgur.com/T9pXGJg.png)(https://i.imgur.com/uY322Uf.png)
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I ordered a deck. Might not help but I’ve been meaning to try them out and I really like a lot of their graphics
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Unfortunately, I think it’s done. Best thing you guys can do is scoop up what’s left and send Steve off not in more debt than he’s already incurred.
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Just noticed that DOA website and instagram are gone. Does anyone know of any shops that still have some Flat AF decks?
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Just noticed that DOA website and instagram are gone. Does anyone know of any shops that still have some Flat AF decks?
Shops never had the FAF, those were online only. He only ever ordered a handful of those each run. I tried to get him to make a few FAF in the square shape, unfortunately it didn't happen before he decided to stop.
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I managed to get some really cheap decks from their black friday sale. I never saw anything that said it was officially done besides a few stories indicating that. Sad, if true. Herbert Brown deserves to be taken care of. That man is super talented on a board
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Wood/shapes are some of the best imo. Was up in NYC last summer skating one and heard tell that people aren't fucking with Steve anymore like that after he let some people go... idk if that would sink a company. But he did name it that for a reason. I think it's probably more so of having to "keep up" with social relevance via media; that in-part would doom many projects nowadays.
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I have like 3 DOA flats on the stack, looks like those are the last I’ll ever skate. :(
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I have one more fresh 8.5 popsicle and that’s it. South Central decks are so solid my old ones still have some life left in them if I wanted to set them back up. Herbert is awesome, hopefully someone hooks him up. I love his IG clips. I know he left a while back but Ben Havran is wildly talented too. Seems like Steve has been crazy active doing his podcast lately, but I admittedly haven’t listened to one yet.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmuXtw_pKBt/?igshid=YWJhMjlhZTc=
Just look at those! Beautiful :-\
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Just noticed that DOA website and instagram are gone. Does anyone know of any shops that still have some Flat AF decks?
Shops never had the FAF, those were online only. He only ever ordered a handful of those each run. I tried to get him to make a few FAF in the square shape, unfortunately it didn't happen before he decided to stop.
Mentioned this in another thread, but when I heard they were going under I messaged them on insta and asked what would happen with the presses they use for the FAFs, he said since Politic is also South Central they are almost definitely going to start making them, although probably with a different name.
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Just noticed that DOA website and instagram are gone. Does anyone know of any shops that still have some Flat AF decks?
I believe the DOA insta is now for their radio thing, Dead On Air?
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So what shape are the current Politic decks? Comparable to anything? Are they pretty mellow?
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Wood/shapes are some of the best imo. Was up in NYC last summer skating one and heard tell that people aren't fucking with Steve anymore like that after he let some people go... idk if that would sink a company. But he did name it that for a reason. I think it's probably more so of having to "keep up" with social relevance via media; that in-part would doom many projects nowadays.
Steve never let anyone go so I'm not sure who you're talking to. There was never anyone to let go, it was effectively a one man operation save for dudes like Mitch who helped out with shop sales. He did basically everything (even a lot of the art) right down to packing and shipping the boxes. The only team rider who's left in past few years was Ben and that was because Steve knew he couldn't provide the same support as the Chief and told him if he didn't take the offer from Zero he'd kick him off the team. There was absolutely zero bad blood and Steve always tried to do right by his riders and even paid for SF/NYC trips and filmers several times for multiple guys to try and get them some exposure. If anything people let him down by not always taking those trips seriously and not sending in footage on their own the way they'd agreed to, though he'd never say it.
This is going to be the reality in skating for a while guys. There's far too much wood in shops right now and it ain't really moving. With the post-pandemic economy demand is way down. Small passion projects like DOA that survived order to order on tight margins are just not a feasible business model at the moment. To put it in perspective imagine if over a year and a half your costs went up $5+ per board but sales actually dropped. Not a lot of small independent companies in any industry could take that hit.
So ya I'm sorry but there's no bad blood, no controversy, no mismanagement, nothing to see here. Just another casualty of the pandemic. It's totally fair for him to not want to have to keep sinking his own money from his real job into the company to keep it afloat. Dudes got a beautiful family to take care of and a civilian job so if he's at peace with it then we all should be too. He's definitely one of the good guys in skateboarding.
Check out the podcast/videos, they're actually pretty interesting.
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Also, If you guys want to support what was essentially a sister company (same wood, same molds and dims, slightly different vibe) then buy politic and buy things from Library skate shop. Damon is another one of the really good dudes out there and yes, Steve said he's agreed to run some flats even though they don't sell in shops when he's run them before (also why Steve didn't sell them in shops).
Otherwise if you want an 8.25 or flat I've got 2 spare freshies and a dozen or so lightly skated ones. Shoot me a PM.
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Wood/shapes are some of the best imo. Was up in NYC last summer skating one and heard tell that people aren't fucking with Steve anymore like that after he let some people go... idk if that would sink a company. But he did name it that for a reason. I think it's probably more so of having to "keep up" with social relevance via media; that in-part would doom many projects nowadays.
Steve never let anyone go so I'm not sure who you're talking to. There was never anyone to let go, it was effectively a one man operation save for dudes like Mitch who helped out with shop sales. He did basically everything (even a lot of the art) right down to packing and shipping the boxes. The only team rider who's left in past few years was Ben and that was because Steve knew he couldn't provide the same support as the Chief and told him if he didn't take the offer from Zero he'd kick him off the team. There was absolutely zero bad blood and Steve always tried to do right by his riders and even paid for SF/NYC trips and filmers several times for multiple guys to try and get them some exposure. If anything people let him down by not always taking those trips seriously and not sending in footage on their own the way they'd agreed to, though he'd never say it.
This is going to be the reality in skating for a while guys. There's far too much wood in shops right now and it ain't really moving. With the post-pandemic economy demand is way down. Small passion projects like DOA that survived order to order on tight margins are just not a feasible business model at the moment. To put it in perspective imagine if over a year and a half your costs went up $5+ per board but sales actually dropped. Not a lot of small independent companies in any industry could take that hit.
So ya I'm sorry but there's no bad blood, no controversy, no mismanagement, nothing to see here. Just another casualty of the pandemic. It's totally fair for him to not want to have to keep sinking his own money from his real job into the company to keep it afloat. Dudes got a beautiful family to take care of and a civilian job so if he's at peace with it then we all should be too. He's definitely one of the good guys in skateboarding.
Check out the podcast/videos, they're actually pretty interesting.
This is all true^^^ Steve is the best, hands down!
EDIT: To say from conversations I have had with Steve, sounds like these "let go" guys were never actually "on" just someone who was getting flowed some boards and fizzled out on supplying clips. I was never "on" DOA but Steve had sent me a bunch of boards and gear in the year before shutting down. Only ever had a few clips in edits because he wanted to keep everything standard definition and I was filming with HD filmers. He even went as far as sending me a VX, was just too late at that point I think he already made the decision to shut it down.
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Wood/shapes are some of the best imo. Was up in NYC last summer skating one and heard tell that people aren't fucking with Steve anymore like that after he let some people go... idk if that would sink a company. But he did name it that for a reason. I think it's probably more so of having to "keep up" with social relevance via media; that in-part would doom many projects nowadays.
Steve never let anyone go so I'm not sure who you're talking to. There was never anyone to let go, it was effectively a one man operation save for dudes like Mitch who helped out with shop sales. He did basically everything (even a lot of the art) right down to packing and shipping the boxes. The only team rider who's left in past few years was Ben and that was because Steve knew he couldn't provide the same support as the Chief and told him if he didn't take the offer from Zero he'd kick him off the team. There was absolutely zero bad blood and Steve always tried to do right by his riders and even paid for SF/NYC trips and filmers several times for multiple guys to try and get them some exposure. If anything people let him down by not always taking those trips seriously and not sending in footage on their own the way they'd agreed to, though he'd never say it.
This is going to be the reality in skating for a while guys. There's far too much wood in shops right now and it ain't really moving. With the post-pandemic economy demand is way down. Small passion projects like DOA that survived order to order on tight margins are just not a feasible business model at the moment. To put it in perspective imagine if over a year and a half your costs went up $5+ per board but sales actually dropped. Not a lot of small independent companies in any industry could take that hit.
So ya I'm sorry but there's no bad blood, no controversy, no mismanagement, nothing to see here. Just another casualty of the pandemic. It's totally fair for him to not want to have to keep sinking his own money from his real job into the company to keep it afloat. Dudes got a beautiful family to take care of and a civilian job so if he's at peace with it then we all should be too. He's definitely one of the good guys in skateboarding.
Check out the podcast/videos, they're actually pretty interesting.
This is all true^^^ Steve is the best, hands down!
EDIT: To say from conversations I have had with Steve, sounds like these "let go" guys were never actually "on" just someone who was getting flowed some boards and fizzled out on supplying clips. I was never "on" DOA but Steve had sent me a bunch of boards and gear in the year before shutting down. Only ever had a few clips in edits because he wanted to keep everything standard definition and I was filming with HD filmers. He even went as far as sending me a VX, was just too late at that point I think he already made the decision to shut it down.
What happened with Koki? Genuinely curious.
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Wood/shapes are some of the best imo. Was up in NYC last summer skating one and heard tell that people aren't fucking with Steve anymore like that after he let some people go... idk if that would sink a company. But he did name it that for a reason. I think it's probably more so of having to "keep up" with social relevance via media; that in-part would doom many projects nowadays.
Steve never let anyone go so I'm not sure who you're talking to. There was never anyone to let go, it was effectively a one man operation save for dudes like Mitch who helped out with shop sales. He did basically everything (even a lot of the art) right down to packing and shipping the boxes. The only team rider who's left in past few years was Ben and that was because Steve knew he couldn't provide the same support as the Chief and told him if he didn't take the offer from Zero he'd kick him off the team. There was absolutely zero bad blood and Steve always tried to do right by his riders and even paid for SF/NYC trips and filmers several times for multiple guys to try and get them some exposure. If anything people let him down by not always taking those trips seriously and not sending in footage on their own the way they'd agreed to, though he'd never say it.
This is going to be the reality in skating for a while guys. There's far too much wood in shops right now and it ain't really moving. With the post-pandemic economy demand is way down. Small passion projects like DOA that survived order to order on tight margins are just not a feasible business model at the moment. To put it in perspective imagine if over a year and a half your costs went up $5+ per board but sales actually dropped. Not a lot of small independent companies in any industry could take that hit.
So ya I'm sorry but there's no bad blood, no controversy, no mismanagement, nothing to see here. Just another casualty of the pandemic. It's totally fair for him to not want to have to keep sinking his own money from his real job into the company to keep it afloat. Dudes got a beautiful family to take care of and a civilian job so if he's at peace with it then we all should be too. He's definitely one of the good guys in skateboarding.
Check out the podcast/videos, they're actually pretty interesting.
This is all true^^^ Steve is the best, hands down!
EDIT: To say from conversations I have had with Steve, sounds like these "let go" guys were never actually "on" just someone who was getting flowed some boards and fizzled out on supplying clips. I was never "on" DOA but Steve had sent me a bunch of boards and gear in the year before shutting down. Only ever had a few clips in edits because he wanted to keep everything standard definition and I was filming with HD filmers. He even went as far as sending me a VX, was just too late at that point I think he already made the decision to shut it down.
What happened with Koki? Genuinely curious.
Not my place to say, but it wasn't anything nefarious from what I know. What I can say is that Fletch always did right by his guys, even when he didn't have to. This was always a passion project and half the dudes on the team were homie hookups to begin with, but he definitely got recognition both to the public and within the industry for the guys who legit have the talent to be a 2023 pro like Ben and Herb. He just didn't always get back quite what he invested, but this wasn't his first rodeo and I don't think that was a surprise to him.
Again, there's really nothing to see here. It's mostly down to the economy, between the stress of that and losing Drew I think it was probably a good time to put it down. Better to burn out than fade away etc.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Well that should clear it up hahaha. I'm glad he laid it all out like that. It's funny to hear him and mitch going over it all and there was stuff even I didn't know in there.
Like I said this is probably going to be the reality for a while.. Market forces have shifted enough that a 90s nostalgia company run by a dude in his spare time is just not really feasible unless you've got financial backing from somewhere other than board sales. DOA had kind of a passionate following on here and that may have made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was but the reality is it was small potatoes in the skate world. Fletch always seemed like he just wanted to sell good boards and hook people up and he did both those things extremely well. He was in it for all the right reasons and I'm very happy to have supported (and been supported by) the brand but this is just how it goes sometimes.
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good listen.
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Burner account for the guy who constantly posts DOA stuff or do they get that much love?
Not familiar with the brand
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Burner account for the guy who constantly posts DOA stuff or do they get that much love?
Not familiar with the brand
Which account? Pretty sure Fletch has an account and is open about being him. And the brand is dead now, it did have a solid following here. Just use the search function and look at the threads from when promos dropped or new gear or even a sale popped up.
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Sad for the brand. Didn't know much about it except some posts over here and mentionings of their flat as fuck decks. This podcast was very interesting to listen. I watched the doa videos after that and i was super hyped from the hip hop edits. anyways, wish Steve all the best!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Really enjoyed this, and I'll look out for future episodes. Sad to see a brand run so passionately and with such a cool identity shutter this way. They had some of the best graphics of the past few years in my opinion; shame I had to admire them from shops' sites and not under people's feet. Sucks also how ungrateful some of the people who flowed through DOA seemed. Flipping product inside out, not wearing or riding free stuff, and holding footy when you're getting hooked up is fucking wack. All because you're more hyped on your generic-ass homie video with hi-8 cliff diving montages and indie rock. Fletch and Mitch seem like they're in an okay place though, and I wish them the best.
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Joey shithead is doing well.
Very underrated post
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Well that should clear it up hahaha. I'm glad he laid it all out like that. It's funny to hear him and mitch going over it all and there was stuff even I didn't know in there.
Like I said this is probably going to be the reality for a while.. Market forces have shifted enough that a 90s nostalgia company run by a dude in his spare time is just not really feasible unless you've got financial backing from somewhere other than board sales. DOA had kind of a passionate following on here and that may have made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was but the reality is it was small potatoes in the skate world. Fletch always seemed like he just wanted to sell good boards and hook people up and he did both those things extremely well. He was in it for all the right reasons and I'm very happy to have supported (and been supported by) the brand but this is just how it goes sometimes.
I kept wondering if they mentioned you @Buttfart Rapedick when they were talking people who order flats, chase boards down etc
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In an industry full of disconnected and uninspired people trying to make money off of skaters, DOA/Steve were making cool stuff that was interesting and well thought out and he wasn't afraid to poke fun at the lameness that permeates our lifestyle.
He made what he liked and didn't follow trends.
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Since I can’t buy more DOA boards I guess I’m just going with Ross Norman Politic decks from here on out.
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I think the Hermes graphic was my favorite. The black with the embossed lettering was really cool.
Listening to that podcast made me realize that I didn’t get most of his references.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Well that should clear it up hahaha. I'm glad he laid it all out like that. It's funny to hear him and mitch going over it all and there was stuff even I didn't know in there.
Like I said this is probably going to be the reality for a while.. Market forces have shifted enough that a 90s nostalgia company run by a dude in his spare time is just not really feasible unless you've got financial backing from somewhere other than board sales. DOA had kind of a passionate following on here and that may have made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was but the reality is it was small potatoes in the skate world. Fletch always seemed like he just wanted to sell good boards and hook people up and he did both those things extremely well. He was in it for all the right reasons and I'm very happy to have supported (and been supported by) the brand but this is just how it goes sometimes.
I kept wondering if they mentioned you @Buttfart Rapedick when they were talking people who order flats, chase boards down etc
I didn't hear my name but I was puttering around the apartment while I had it on so maybe he threw me an S/O and I didn't catch it. He's incredibly gracious even like privately/informally so I know he appreciates me (and all the other DOA groupies) either way. When he said he doesn't keep anything he wasn't lying, even as recently as a few weeks ago I randomly get boxes of lightly skated decks showing up at my door - usually not even DOA just random shit he thinks I'd like.
Anyways I could literally fill pages of this thread with stories about cool shit he's done for me or others but I'm just glad the dude is happy, and I'm confident whatever he decides to put his energy into (like the podcast) is going to be good.
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I asked once asked if there were any more of the Air Tech Challenge inspired decks around (such a dope graphic, it has embossed rackets) and he sent me the last one he was holding for himself. Kinda felt bad taking it, but that’s one of my favorite decks I’ve ever owned.
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I’m lucky enough to own the clockers-inspired Carlos Kenner model. Beautiful board. It wasn’t easy to get doa boards in Canada (minus the source carrying them for a little bit from what I saw), but I needed that Carlos jawn. This podcast is also a clear glimpse into how disjointed running a company can be. Much respect
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Well that should clear it up hahaha. I'm glad he laid it all out like that. It's funny to hear him and mitch going over it all and there was stuff even I didn't know in there.
Like I said this is probably going to be the reality for a while.. Market forces have shifted enough that a 90s nostalgia company run by a dude in his spare time is just not really feasible unless you've got financial backing from somewhere other than board sales. DOA had kind of a passionate following on here and that may have made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was but the reality is it was small potatoes in the skate world. Fletch always seemed like he just wanted to sell good boards and hook people up and he did both those things extremely well. He was in it for all the right reasons and I'm very happy to have supported (and been supported by) the brand but this is just how it goes sometimes.
I kept wondering if they mentioned you @Buttfart Rapedick when they were talking people who order flats, chase boards down etc
I didn't hear my name but I was puttering around the apartment while I had it on so maybe he threw me an S/O and I didn't catch it. He's incredibly gracious even like privately/informally so I know he appreciates me (and all the other DOA groupies) either way. When he said he doesn't keep anything he wasn't lying, even as recently as a few weeks ago I randomly get boxes of lightly skated decks showing up at my door - usually not even DOA just random shit he thinks I'd like.
Anyways I could literally fill pages of this thread with stories about cool shit he's done for me or others but I'm just glad the dude is happy, and I'm confident whatever he decides to put his energy into (like the podcast) is going to be good.
I loved him shitting on the team for not skating the boards. The few times I skated with him he was skating sour boards
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Well that should clear it up hahaha. I'm glad he laid it all out like that. It's funny to hear him and mitch going over it all and there was stuff even I didn't know in there.
Like I said this is probably going to be the reality for a while.. Market forces have shifted enough that a 90s nostalgia company run by a dude in his spare time is just not really feasible unless you've got financial backing from somewhere other than board sales. DOA had kind of a passionate following on here and that may have made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was but the reality is it was small potatoes in the skate world. Fletch always seemed like he just wanted to sell good boards and hook people up and he did both those things extremely well. He was in it for all the right reasons and I'm very happy to have supported (and been supported by) the brand but this is just how it goes sometimes.
I kept wondering if they mentioned you @Buttfart Rapedick when they were talking people who order flats, chase boards down etc
I didn't hear my name but I was puttering around the apartment while I had it on so maybe he threw me an S/O and I didn't catch it. He's incredibly gracious even like privately/informally so I know he appreciates me (and all the other DOA groupies) either way. When he said he doesn't keep anything he wasn't lying, even as recently as a few weeks ago I randomly get boxes of lightly skated decks showing up at my door - usually not even DOA just random shit he thinks I'd like.
Anyways I could literally fill pages of this thread with stories about cool shit he's done for me or others but I'm just glad the dude is happy, and I'm confident whatever he decides to put his energy into (like the podcast) is going to be good.
I loved him shitting on the team for not skating the boards. The few times I skated with him he was skating sour boards
Steve goes through phases..one of the worst madness sufferers I know haha. Before the sours it was the ps Stix scumcos for a while, then afterwards it was a dlx shape and I think he's on a palace shape now. He always ended up back on flats eventually, but a lot of the time those sold out in his (and mine) size super fast because there was maybe a dozen 8.12/8.25 per run at most. If he didnt stash any away for himself they'd be gone in a few days max and most of the time when he did stash them he'd end up selling or giving his personal stash to someone who hit him up looking for flats long before the next order came in (which was usually months after it was supposed to be) and have to try to find other mellow boards to skate until then. He's in his 40s and the SC standard mold is one of the steepest on the market so they're like impossible to skate once old man legs take hold. There was one weird run a year or two ago where SC used a new glue or something and the boards came out mellow enough that we were both able to skate the flattest ones, but it was when the demandemic was still kicking and shops were begging for wood so I only got 2 of them.
So not sure if you were trying to imply hypocrisy, but he definitely skated them when he had them and also skates other stuff as well. Pretty standard practice really, I personally don't know any small company owner that exclusively skates their own boards.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Well that should clear it up hahaha. I'm glad he laid it all out like that. It's funny to hear him and mitch going over it all and there was stuff even I didn't know in there.
Like I said this is probably going to be the reality for a while.. Market forces have shifted enough that a 90s nostalgia company run by a dude in his spare time is just not really feasible unless you've got financial backing from somewhere other than board sales. DOA had kind of a passionate following on here and that may have made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was but the reality is it was small potatoes in the skate world. Fletch always seemed like he just wanted to sell good boards and hook people up and he did both those things extremely well. He was in it for all the right reasons and I'm very happy to have supported (and been supported by) the brand but this is just how it goes sometimes.
I kept wondering if they mentioned you @Buttfart Rapedick when they were talking people who order flats, chase boards down etc
I didn't hear my name but I was puttering around the apartment while I had it on so maybe he threw me an S/O and I didn't catch it. He's incredibly gracious even like privately/informally so I know he appreciates me (and all the other DOA groupies) either way. When he said he doesn't keep anything he wasn't lying, even as recently as a few weeks ago I randomly get boxes of lightly skated decks showing up at my door - usually not even DOA just random shit he thinks I'd like.
Anyways I could literally fill pages of this thread with stories about cool shit he's done for me or others but I'm just glad the dude is happy, and I'm confident whatever he decides to put his energy into (like the podcast) is going to be good.
I loved him shitting on the team for not skating the boards. The few times I skated with him he was skating sour boards
Steve goes through phases..one of the worst madness sufferers I know haha. Before the sours it was the ps Stix scumcos for a while, then afterwards it was a dlx shape and I think he's on a palace shape now. He always ended up back on flats eventually, but a lot of the time those sold out in his (and mine) size super fast because there was maybe a dozen 8.12/8.25 per run at most. If he didnt stash any away for himself they'd be gone in a few days max and most of the time when he did stash them he'd end up selling or giving his personal stash to someone who hit him up looking for flats long before the next order came in (which was usually months after it was supposed to be) and have to try to find other mellow boards to skate until then. He's in his 40s and the SC standard mold is one of the steepest on the market so they're like impossible to skate once old man legs take hold. There was one weird run a year or two ago where SC used a new glue or something and the boards came out mellow enough that we were both able to skate the flattest ones, but it was when the demandemic was still kicking and shops were begging for wood so I only got 2 of them.
So not sure if you were trying to imply hypocrisy, but he definitely skated them when he had them and also skates other stuff as well. Pretty standard practice really, I personally don't know any small company owner that exclusively skates their own boards.
No wasn’t implying hypocrisy at all, thoroughly enjoyed it. I still have some boards from the last run that I couldn’t ride because SC didn’t send any squares. I ride 8.25 and he sent me some 8.3’a that were the squareist of the run. I was really trying to get him to do a couple flat squares before he decided he was done
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we cannot love skateboarding, new or veterans, and allow legendary smaller companies be dismantled in place of generic corporate wasteland companies. Help out, buy a fucking deck .
at this point i don’t think “generic corporate wasteland companies” are undermining cool lowkey underground brands, it’s other indie brands. the only reason a lot of the legacy corpo brands are still in business is because they’re owned by investment firms and sell completes at department stores. the problem is there are too many brands and only so many consumers, and in DOA’s case a shrinking amount of consumers who are interested in what they had to offer. i love 90s nostalgia and tributes to “the golden era” as much as any other 30+ year old dude posting here, but that stuff only appeals to a minuscule portion of the people buying skateboarding products. skaters are especially fickle, starting a brand in skateboarding is a fruitless endeavor and i would advise against it unless you have something really truly special on your hands.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RreXLHBLdU0
You guys probably already have this in your recs but this post mortem is a good listen.
Well that should clear it up hahaha. I'm glad he laid it all out like that. It's funny to hear him and mitch going over it all and there was stuff even I didn't know in there.
Like I said this is probably going to be the reality for a while.. Market forces have shifted enough that a 90s nostalgia company run by a dude in his spare time is just not really feasible unless you've got financial backing from somewhere other than board sales. DOA had kind of a passionate following on here and that may have made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was but the reality is it was small potatoes in the skate world. Fletch always seemed like he just wanted to sell good boards and hook people up and he did both those things extremely well. He was in it for all the right reasons and I'm very happy to have supported (and been supported by) the brand but this is just how it goes sometimes.
I kept wondering if they mentioned you @Buttfart Rapedick when they were talking people who order flats, chase boards down etc
I didn't hear my name but I was puttering around the apartment while I had it on so maybe he threw me an S/O and I didn't catch it. He's incredibly gracious even like privately/informally so I know he appreciates me (and all the other DOA groupies) either way. When he said he doesn't keep anything he wasn't lying, even as recently as a few weeks ago I randomly get boxes of lightly skated decks showing up at my door - usually not even DOA just random shit he thinks I'd like.
Anyways I could literally fill pages of this thread with stories about cool shit he's done for me or others but I'm just glad the dude is happy, and I'm confident whatever he decides to put his energy into (like the podcast) is going to be good.
I loved him shitting on the team for not skating the boards. The few times I skated with him he was skating sour boards
Steve goes through phases..one of the worst madness sufferers I know haha. Before the sours it was the ps Stix scumcos for a while, then afterwards it was a dlx shape and I think he's on a palace shape now. He always ended up back on flats eventually, but a lot of the time those sold out in his (and mine) size super fast because there was maybe a dozen 8.12/8.25 per run at most. If he didnt stash any away for himself they'd be gone in a few days max and most of the time when he did stash them he'd end up selling or giving his personal stash to someone who hit him up looking for flats long before the next order came in (which was usually months after it was supposed to be) and have to try to find other mellow boards to skate until then. He's in his 40s and the SC standard mold is one of the steepest on the market so they're like impossible to skate once old man legs take hold. There was one weird run a year or two ago where SC used a new glue or something and the boards came out mellow enough that we were both able to skate the flattest ones, but it was when the demandemic was still kicking and shops were begging for wood so I only got 2 of them.
So not sure if you were trying to imply hypocrisy, but he definitely skated them when he had them and also skates other stuff as well. Pretty standard practice really, I personally don't know any small company owner that exclusively skates their own boards.
No wasn’t implying hypocrisy at all, thoroughly enjoyed it. I still have some boards from the last run that I couldn’t ride because SC didn’t send any squares. I ride 8.25 and he sent me some 8.3’a that were the squareist of the run. I was really trying to get him to do a couple flat squares before he decided he was done
You actually weren't alone.
So there were a handful of square flats in one of the earlier runs, but Steve thought they were the ugliest thing he's ever seen haha. But since he's a super cool dude, he was trying to get a handful made for me for literally like a year and a half. Every single order he would put them on, - at first it was only one or two but then he tried asking for like 5 the one run - and SC would just ignore it. There were like 3-4 runs where this happened haha. The flats were a crap shoot to begin with in that he never knew what sizes/graphics were going to come in and sometimes there would be less than expected. It was always a "let's wait and see what they send" kinda deal.
Maybe we should all pester Damon at politic to make square flats now...
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For anyone interested, all the DOA board graphics are archived (for now) at:
https://beaconlifestyleshop.com/?category_id=5e96588a34ef0156596a04e9
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For anyone interested, all the DOA board graphics are archived (for now) at:
https://beaconlifestyleshop.com/?category_id=5e96588a34ef0156596a04e9
excellent, thanks for this
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i never managed to get a flames deck. the flames suck and i dont like hockey, but city pride. a bit sad about that one.
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For anyone interested, all the DOA board graphics are archived (for now) at:
https://beaconlifestyleshop.com/?category_id=5e96588a34ef0156596a04e9
beacon is a dope shop,I actually copped a DOA 8.38 square from them a while back that is currently my wife's board/ cruiser. Maybe I'll put some smaller wheels on it and try and shred, thing is shaped like a snowboard!
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All time favorite DOA graphic is the stacked toe tags over half the board. I have a cherry red one with a unique wood grain that is my favorite deck Ive skated as an adult that I think would legit be one of the first things I tossed out the window in case of a fire. It's going on the wall the day I decide to stop skating it. Simple but great looking, I think wknd even ripped that graphic off actually. Just the toe tag alone is one of coolest logos I've ever seen actually... The guy who did it also drew a full wanted poster graphic for Ben that I thought was rad too.
For anyone interested, all the DOA board graphics are archived (for now) at:
https://beaconlifestyleshop.com/?category_id=5e96588a34ef0156596a04e9
That's not quite everything, just everything that got sent to Japan. There's a fair few things missing but Steve never saves anything so I'm not sure if there's even pics. I'll empty some boxes and look through my old phones one of these days and dig up some of the other ones.
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I love the toe tag deck. An old friend went to college with Patrick, the artist that did the logo. That was a fun little small world moment when I posted up a DOA deck with a sticker from my friend on IG.
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All time favorite DOA graphic is the stacked toe tags over half the board. I have a cherry red one with a unique wood grain that is my favorite deck Ive skated as an adult that I think would legit be one of the first things I tossed out the window in case of a fire. It's going on the wall the day I decide to stop skating it. Simple but great looking, I think wknd even ripped that graphic off actually. Just the toe tag alone is one of coolest logos I've ever seen actually... The guy who did it also drew a full wanted poster graphic for Ben that I thought was rad too.
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For anyone interested, all the DOA board graphics are archived (for now) at:
https://beaconlifestyleshop.com/?category_id=5e96588a34ef0156596a04e9
That's not quite everything, just everything that got sent to Japan. There's a fair few things missing but Steve never saves anything so I'm not sure if there's even pics. I'll empty some boxes and look through my old phones one of these days and dig up some of the other ones.
The red toe tag is one of my favorites along with the hermes and white devil.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jjww2mdf/20230123-142213.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NytfPNXG)
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(https://i.ibb.co/gWK1sHN/7-BBE5-E57-7-D63-4-F5-E-BF7-E-EFBC66-BD6286.jpg)
I saved a few
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Some of the better ones too, ^
(not that any of them looked bad)
Edit I used search answered my own question ;)
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(https://i.ibb.co/FsvrSdy/IMG-20230127-045852.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FsvrSdy)(https://i.ibb.co/vdY4T4z/IMG-20230126-063122.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vdY4T4z)
These are all flats I believe. I've got some standards around here somewhere too, I just have to find them.
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(https://i.ibb.co/FsvrSdy/IMG-20230127-045852.jpg) (https://ibvrSdy)(https://i.ibb.co/vdY4T4z/IMG-20230126-063122.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vdY4T4z)
These are all flats I believe. I've got some standards around here somewhere too, I just have to find them.
That eyestone and jimmy chung are great.
I usually bought doubles in 7.5.
But skated most of em.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/Jzn6L6gM/IMG-20230127-140403-264.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2VsFdwrK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/WbSWxL55/IMG-20230127-140407-704.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/WhFwJKLZ)
Sometimes, alot of times, the top graphic was just as good as the bottom graphic.